The hunters’ federation is still maintaining the upkeep and cleanliness of l-Aħrax woodlands despite the annulment of the site’s management agreement in November.
“We still kept on managing because we are responsible for the area,” Federazzjoni Kaċċaturi Nassaba Konservazzjonisti (FKNK) president Lucas Micallef told Times of Malta.
In November, a court annulled an agreement that handed over the management of Miżieb and Aħrax to FKNK, citing that the deal had not been done according to the law.
Micallef explained that, although the agreement for FKNK to handle the area is now null, the federation continues to take care of the area as no other NGO or entity has taken over the responsibility.
“It is not ours but no one told us that you cannot go there and keep managing the site,” Micallef said.
Even agencies such as the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) treat the federation as the site’s managers, Micallef said, as the authority contacts them when it comes to Aħrax matters.
Responding to questions, an ERA spokesperson explained that the authority contacts all stakeholders involved in a site when taking any action.
“In the case of l-Aħrax, ERA generally works with Ambjent Malta, the Mellieħa local council, the Civil Protection Department, FKNK and BirdLife Malta,” the spokesperson said.
A litter disaster
Every Monday, FKNK members attempt to clean the area of litter and waste after the weekend’s haul of visitors, Micallef continued.
“When people come here, it is literally a disaster,” he said, claiming that many people leave behind a plastic footprint while the federation struggles to keep the place clean.
Photos of clean-ups in the area, shared by Environment Minister Miriam Dalli, make no mention of the FKNK role in keeping the area clean.
In one such post, dated August 11, Dalli highlighted the work of Ambjent Malta workers to clear parts of the site of "take-away boxes, food remains and other litter".
What about hunting season?
Apart from providing for the management of the site, the agreement also allowed FKNK to designate specific areas in the site as "picnic areas", giving hunters access to swatches of land to roam during hunting seasons.
In spring 2023, the hunting season ran between April 10 and 30 while the autumn season will open on September 1 and continue till January 31, 2024. These dates are subject to change and are published in The Malta Government Gazette.
“With the agreement, we were never going to close areas off,” Micallef said, emphasising that all areas will remain open to the public while hunting will move forward.
The federation usually publishes information on the times and dates of hunting activities on their Facebook page and also set up signs in the area, Micallef said, but discussions for this year have yet to take place.
‘Courts were clear’
Speaking to Times of Malta, Birdlife CEO Mark Sultana questioned whether the federation should be allowed to continue the upkeep.
“The courts were very clear. The area does not belong to FKNK… and they should not be acting like they own the place,” he said.
Sultana explained that the site is no stranger to illegal hunting and that proper agreements should be in place to ensure that matters are handled responsibly.
However, if the land remains open to the public, Birdlife sees no issue with FKNK’s management as long as it is done within the bounds of the law, he said, noting that the area is a designated Natura2000 site and deserves protection.
“Anyone can go and hunt there during hunting season,” he said, but that access extends to everyone and not just FKNK members.
On Wednesday, FKNK reported four fires that broke out at around the same time in l-Aħrax, suspecting them to be acts of arson.
“It is suspected that these fires, especially for the way they occurred at the same time in four different places, are the result of vandal acts,” the federation said in a statement.
Questions regarding the ownership of the land have been sent to the environment ministry.